New Players. See Appendix B below: Registration and additional information provided periodically on the SYHA website.

Recruiting. SYHA supports and endorses CHC's policies and by-laws that prohibit the recruitment of players from other CHC programs. Players who move out of town may elect to continue in the SYHA program, regardless of whether their new town has an ice hockey program.

Releases from SYHA. SYHA may grant, at its discretion in the best interests of the program, a formal USA Hockey and/or CHC release to any player in good standing who applies to the Registrar in writing. Such good standing includes, but is not limited to, full payment of all fees and other monies owed to SYHA. The Registrar may consult the President and the appropriate Division Director(s) as necessary. If, in the Registrar’s determination a release cannot be granted, the matter will be referred to the President who will render a decision, at his/her discretion.

Fees. Annually, the President, the Treasurer, and the Vice President of On-Ice Operations will present to the Board for their approval the required participation fees for players on each team and in each Division of SYHA, together with the due dates and any applicable late fees for any installment(s), based upon the ice expenses, referee costs, and a share of all other SYHA costs. Fees for participation in tournaments, for additional games or practices not originally scheduled by SYHA, and for jerseys may be included within the original fee assessment or separately assessed at the Board’s discretion.

Installment and Budget Payment Schedules. The President and/or Treasurer are authorized to negotiate installment or budget payment schedules in cases of financial hardship or unique circumstances. It is the responsibility of players and parents to request and finalize budget plans before the due date of the second installment of the current season year. Any player who has been declared in arrears with respect to registration fees (or any negotiated budget plan) by the Board will be ineligible for the remainder of season and for post-season play, practices, and registration for the following year until such fees are paid in full or the budget plan is made current. This policy is intended to ease the financial burden of fees on a very few affected families and is not a general offer of installment or budget payment plans. Any such exceptions to the regular installment schedule are arranged and authorized by the Treasurer, in consultation with the President as required.

Refunds. When registration is submitted to and accepted by SYHA, it represents a firm commitment between the player and the player’s family and SYHA for the entire season. SYHA in turn makes a variety of contractual financial commitments based on the number of registered players. As a consequence, cancellation of registration may represent a financial loss or hardship to SYHA. The registration partial first installment, the balance of the first installment due by September 15th, and all subsequent installments assessed, whether or not paid, pursuant to the full balance of the annual fee as set by SYHA are non-refundable. Exceptions to this policy may be requested of the Treasurer, the Vice President of On-Ice Operations, and the President in special circumstances such as serious injury or relocation. Choosing not to play or moving to another program are not, in the view of SYHA, bases for requesting a refund. The Treasurer, the Vice President of On-Ice Operations, and the President will act on such requests at their sole discretion, and all decisions of this group in such matters are final. See also Appendix B below: Registration and additional information provided on the SYHA website.

Refunds for Long-term Absences from Play Resulting from Serious Injury. By registering with and participating in SYHA programs, players and their families acknowledge that hockey is a physical and contact sport and that the risk of injury, including serious injury, is real. SYHA and SYHA Coaches take all reasonable precautions, consistent with USA Hockey guidelines, to insure that players are instructed properly to minimize the risk of injury to SYHA players and their opponents. However, injuries do occur and players do miss practices and games as a consequence of injury.

In the event of a season-ending absence from practices and games resulting directly from participation in SYHA programs, players and their families may request a partial refund of fees paid, or an abatement of fees remaining outstanding, subject to the following guidelines: if the season-ending injury occurs before November 15th, the player and the player’s family will not be assessed any additional fees scheduled to be paid or assessed after that date; if the season-ending injury occurs after November 15th but before December 15th, 1/3rd of the full season fee will be refunded or, if not yet paid, the assessed fee will be abated 1/3rd; if the season-ending injury occurs after December 15th, no refund of fees paid or abatement of fees assessed will be made. No refunds of fees paid or abatement of fees assessed will be made for non-season-ending injuries regardless of the number of practices and/or games missed. All such requests must be submitted, in writing, to the President of SYHA with appropriate supporting medical documentation of the season-ending injury and specifically prohibiting participation in the SYHA program and must be substantiated by an SYHA injury report submitted by the player’s Coach and the Division Director. Refunds for fees paid may be made in the form of direct cash reimbursements or as credits to be used for subsequent years’ fees for the player or other players in the player’s family at the sole discretion of the Treasurer, the Vice President of On-Ice Operations, and the President of SYHA. The Treasurer, the Vice President of On-Ice Operations, and the President will act on such requests at their sole discretion, and all decisions of this group in such matters are final.

Refunds for Relocation of Players Outside the Core Geographic Area. SYHA understands that family circumstances change and that not all such changes are predictable or anticipated. In the event that a player or a player’s family moves outside of the Core Geographic Area after Registration, refunds of fees paid or assessed may be requested of the Treasurer, the Vice President of On-Ice Operations, and the President. Choosing not to play or moving to another program are not, in the view of SYHA, bases for requesting a refund. The Treasurer, the Vice President of On-Ice Operations, and the President will act on all such requests at their sole discretion, and all decisions of this group in such matters are final.

Particular Provisions for Bantam/Midget/Girls U14 Registration. Bantam, Midget, and Girls U14 players will register during SYHA’s open registration period (detailed in APPENDIX B: Registration). Players in these Divisions understand and agree that SYHA must select, roster, and register teams with CHC at a time when selections for high school/prep school teams are not final. Players may simultaneously tryout for SYHA and high school/prep school teams. Those players who are selected for a high school/prep school team will be entitled to an appropriate, equitable, and proportional refund of registration fees at the Treasurer’s discretion, in consultation with the President. Players who do not register with and try out with SYHA and who are not selected for a high school/prep school team cannot and will not be guaranteed an SYHA roster place. SYHA strongly recommends that high school freshmen who are not selected for a high school varsity team and remain age eligible to play at the Bantam/Girls U14 level play on a Bantam/Girls U14 team and not on a junior varsity team.

Dual Rostering for High School Players. The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference and other high school governing bodies prohibit boys from ‘dual rostering’ on both a high school/prep school team and with CHC, and SYHA strongly discourages girls from ‘dual rostering’ on a high school/prep school team and a SYHA team. If a player wishes to dual roster, the Division Director, in consultation with the President and Vice President of On-Ice Operations, will determine whether to accept the registration based on the needs of the division and space availability.

Dual Rostering for All Other Players. CHC rules prohibit players from rostering on more than one CHC-sanctioned team. Further, SYHA strongly discourages all players from rostering for both SYHA and other youth hockey organizations. If a SYHA player wishes to play for another team in addition to SYHA, SYHA will require that player to make their SYHA commitments – both practices and games – a firm priority. If a player is unable to make that commitment – or if their attendance at SYHA games and practices as reported by the Head Coach to the Division Director suggests that they have not made that commitment – the Head Coach, the Division Director, the Vice President of On-Ice Operations, and President will assess the value of that player’s continued participation in SYHA. If, in their sole discretion, the Head Coach, the Division Director, the Vice President of On-Ice Operations, and the President determine that such player’s continued participation in SYHA is detrimental to the needs of the team and of the program, such player’s participation in SYHA will be terminated. In such cases, the player will be entitled to an appropriate, equitable, and proportional refund of registration fees at the Treasurer’s discretion, in consultation with the President.

The James A. Stover Memorial Hockey Scholarship Fund

Purpose. The fund, managed by SYHA but independent of the SYHA operating budget, provides scholarships for players whose particular family financial circumstances would otherwise preclude the player from participating in SYHA’s programs. SYHA conducts a variety of fundraising activities dedicated to raising money for the scholarship fund. These activities are in addition to and complement SYHA’s other fundraising efforts, and specific donations to the fund are always welcome and gratefully accepted.

Criteria. Full or partial scholarships will be awarded based strictly on financial need. A committee consisting of the President, the Vice President of On-Ice Operations, and the Treasurer will review scholarship applications and award scholarships based on available monies in the scholarship fund. Scholarships are awarded at the final discretion of the committee named above, which acts as representatives of the Board. Families applying for a scholarship should contact the Treasurer and complete the required application; applications are due by July 1st for consideration for the upcoming season.

APPENDIX B

The SYHA registration process for the boys Squirt, Pee Wee and Bantam Divisions (see below regarding Mites and Midgets) and for all Girls Divisions is as follows:

For the purposes of the registration Process, “SYHA Players” are defined as:

All players, returning or new registrants, residing in SYHA’s Core Geographic Area, and

Siblings of current SYHA players from outside the Core Geographic Area.

House and Girls registration will be open to all players regardless of town or residence.

SYHA Players will have from an opening date until a deadline established by the Board of Directors (“spring registration deadline”) to register online and pay a partial first installment, the amount to be determined and announced by the Board of Directors. All amounts owed to SYHA, for any reason, must be resolved to the full satisfaction of SYHA prior to completing registration for the upcoming season. Registration will not be complete until SYHA has received the partial first installment. SYHA will make every reasonable effort to publicize this registration period prior to the opening date; however, SYHA will not contact SYHA players individually who have not registered by the spring registration deadline. Those not completing registration by the spring registration deadline are at risk of losing a spot in SYHA for the upcoming season.

Potential travel team players from outside the Core Geographic Area will be considered Alternate Applicants. Soon after the registration deadline and based on the numbers of registered SYHA players, SYHA will determine the number of teams it will support for each Division for the upcoming season and its ability to accept Alternate Applicants. Decisions regarding the acceptance of Alternate Applicants will be made at the sole discretion of SYHA according to the needs of the program. There is no guarantee that Alternate Applicants will have a spot in SYHA for the upcoming season.

The balance of the first installment for SYHA players will be due in mid-September. Those registering in the spring registration period, but having failed to fully pay the first installment by that date (or having failed to make alternative payment arrangements satisfactory to SYHA) may be consider withdrawn for the upcoming season.

Violations of this registration policy may result in a player losing their spot in SYHA.

HOUSE: House registration will open on May 1st and remain open into the season. There will be no distinction between SYHA players and other players for the purposes of House registration, and House registration will be open to all players regardless of town or residence.

GIRLS: Girls registration will open on May 1st and remain open into the season. There will be no distinction between SYHA players and other players for the purposes of Girls registration, and Girls registration will be open to all players regardless of town or residence.

MIDGETS: Midget registration will open on May 1st in alignment with the spring registration deadline. The partial first installment will be applied to the fee for the entire season. The full fee will be announced in July and the balance due in mid September. There will be no distinction between SYHA players and other players for purposes of Midget registration.